In other political news, Donald Trump appeared on CNN over the weekend, where he was asked to disavow support for his candidacy from David Duke and the KKK.

CNN's Jake Tapper: Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you don't want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?

Donald Trump: Well, just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, okay? I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don't know. I don't know, did he endorse me or what's going on, because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about.

After an enormous amount of quite reasonable outrage in response to that dreck, Trump is now blaming a faulty earpiece: "I'm sitting in a house in Florida with a very bad earpiece that they gave me, and you could hardly hear what he was saying. But what I heard was various groups, and I don't mind disavowing anybody, and I disavowed David Duke and I disavowed him the day before at a major news conference, which is surprising because he was at the major news conference, CNN was at the major news conference, and they heard me very easily disavow David Duke. ...He also talked about groups. And I have no problem with disavowing groups, but I'd at least like to know who they are. It would be very unfair to disavow a group, Matt, if the group shouldn't be disavowed. I have to know who the groups are. But I disavowed David Duke."

But not the KKK? Okay.

So Trump has disavowed support from (some) white supremacists, but naturally he hasn't disavowed—or even been asked to disavow—his own policies that invited their support in the first place. The flat truth is that it doesn't really matter if Trump says "I disavow David Duke" but continues a campaign the slogan of which is dogwhistled white supremacy.

The media in particular wants him to disavow support so they can go back to pretending "Make America Great Again" isn't a euphemism for white power. But it is. And no amount of disavowing support from white supremacist individuals and groups is going to change that.

Relatedly, Mike Huckabee was asked about this garbage and gave this incredible response: "Does anybody think Donald Trump is a racist? I don't. I mean, I really don't. I don't know of anything in his life that indicates that this man has racist tendencies."

Yeah. I'm sure the Republican Party is just devastated that a man who perfectly encapsulates their shitty platform is about to get the nomination. That's why RNC Chair Reince Priebus tweeted after the last shitshow of a debate: "Tonight we saw another spirited debate between the most diverse & well-qualified group of presidential candidates in history."

I refuse to indulge the pretense that the Republican Party doesn't support Trump's candidacy. The fuck they don't.

The more voters know about their policies, the less they like them. So it couldn't be more helpful that, instead of scrutinizing their policy, the media is jerking off about Trump retweeting a Mussolini quote, and, instead of the candidates talking about policy, they're just hurling childish insults at each other:

That's just from this weekend.

And why not? Despite the fact that Trump is being made out to be uniquely horrible among the Republican field, the rest are all just as terrible. In some cases, even worse. See Marco Rubio's extreme position on abortion, for example.

The more they actually talk about policy, the more evident that will become.

I don't believe for a moment that the Republican Party elites are upset about the Trump Spectacle. To the absolute contrary, his bombast gives them the exact hook they need to pretend to be aghast, while no doubt secretly thrilled that he advocates their ruinous policy while doing everything he can to undermine serious discussion of that policy.

Trump is the gold-plated king of the hideous base they've been cultivating for decades. Why would they be mad about that?

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This Fu@#ing Guy and His Whole Fu@#king Party

[Content Note: White supremacy.]

In other political news, Donald Trump appeared on CNN over the weekend, where he was asked to disavow support for his candidacy from David Duke and the KKK.

CNN's Jake Tapper: Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you don't want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?

Donald Trump: Well, just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke, okay? I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don't know. I don't know, did he endorse me or what's going on, because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about.

After an enormous amount of quite reasonable outrage in response to that dreck, Trump is now blaming a faulty earpiece: "I'm sitting in a house in Florida with a very bad earpiece that they gave me, and you could hardly hear what he was saying. But what I heard was various groups, and I don't mind disavowing anybody, and I disavowed David Duke and I disavowed him the day before at a major news conference, which is surprising because he was at the major news conference, CNN was at the major news conference, and they heard me very easily disavow David Duke. ...He also talked about groups. And I have no problem with disavowing groups, but I'd at least like to know who they are. It would be very unfair to disavow a group, Matt, if the group shouldn't be disavowed. I have to know who the groups are. But I disavowed David Duke."

But not the KKK? Okay.

So Trump has disavowed support from (some) white supremacists, but naturally he hasn't disavowed—or even been asked to disavow—his own policies that invited their support in the first place. The flat truth is that it doesn't really matter if Trump says "I disavow David Duke" but continues a campaign the slogan of which is dogwhistled white supremacy.

The media in particular wants him to disavow support so they can go back to pretending "Make America Great Again" isn't a euphemism for white power. But it is. And no amount of disavowing support from white supremacist individuals and groups is going to change that.

Relatedly, Mike Huckabee was asked about this garbage and gave this incredible response: "Does anybody think Donald Trump is a racist? I don't. I mean, I really don't. I don't know of anything in his life that indicates that this man has racist tendencies."

Yeah. I'm sure the Republican Party is just devastated that a man who perfectly encapsulates their shitty platform is about to get the nomination. That's why RNC Chair Reince Priebus tweeted after the last shitshow of a debate: "Tonight we saw another spirited debate between the most diverse & well-qualified group of presidential candidates in history."

I refuse to indulge the pretense that the Republican Party doesn't support Trump's candidacy. The fuck they don't.

The more voters know about their policies, the less they like them. So it couldn't be more helpful that, instead of scrutinizing their policy, the media is jerking off about Trump retweeting a Mussolini quote, and, instead of the candidates talking about policy, they're just hurling childish insults at each other:

That's just from this weekend.

And why not? Despite the fact that Trump is being made out to be uniquely horrible among the Republican field, the rest are all just as terrible. In some cases, even worse. See Marco Rubio's extreme position on abortion, for example.

The more they actually talk about policy, the more evident that will become.

I don't believe for a moment that the Republican Party elites are upset about the Trump Spectacle. To the absolute contrary, his bombast gives them the exact hook they need to pretend to be aghast, while no doubt secretly thrilled that he advocates their ruinous policy while doing everything he can to undermine serious discussion of that policy.

Trump is the gold-plated king of the hideous base they've been cultivating for decades. Why would they be mad about that?

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